Top 10 biggest anime controversies
The Pokemon Company/IMDB/NetflixFrom Jujutsu Kaisen to Pokémon, here are ten of the biggest scandals to rook the anime industry.
Like Hollywood – and every major media industry – anime is no stranger to controversy, questionable moments, and downright strange characters.
Over the years the anime industry has collected a wide range of news-worthy scandals, whether they’re over workers’ rights, offensive tropes, or actors’ personal lives.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest scandals that have blown up across the anime industry, from arms smuggling in the ’90s to the over-sexualization of minors.
Top 10 biggest anime controversies
The anime industry is filled with drama on and off the screen. Here are our 10 biggest behind-the-scenes scandals to rock the industry.
1. Yoshinobu Nishizaki: rogue producer and arms smuggler?
Yoshinobu Nishizaki was anime’s most colorful and controversial producer of the 1990s. With his life filled with fame (and infamy), it’s often said that Nishizaki’s greatest story would have been his own autobiography.
From “god of manga” Osamu Tezuka’s office manager to achieving success with anime series like Space Battleship Yamamoto, you’d think that his rise to the top of the industry was exciting enough.
However, anime wasn’t as lucrative as it is now. His life took a dark turn when he filed for bankruptcy in 1997, and shortly after he was arrested for smuggling illegal firearms into Japan while still on bail for the possession of narcotics.
Yoshinobu Nishizaki lived as he died, in a relatively mysterious manner. In 2010, the 75-year-old producer lost his life falling from a boat off the coast of Japan’s Bonin Islands. Although some speculate that this might have been a drastic attempt to break free from the shackles of his troubled past.
2. JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure religious text backlash
In 2008, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure OVA series sparked controversy due to its regrettable use of the holy book of Islam, the Qur’an.
The sixth episode, The Mist of Vengeance, which originally aired in 2001, originally depicted the main antagonist Dio Brando reading from the Ar-Ra’d part of the Qur’an while vowing to kill Jotaro Kujo.
In 2008, after Egyptian Islamic fundamentalists complained about the association of such an evil character with Islamic text, studio A.P.P.P. and Shueisha halted shipments of the OVA manga and suspended the series indefinitely.
3. Neon Genesis Evangelion’s ending sparked death threats
1995 action series Neon Genesis Evangelion is now a cult classic. But it wasn’t always so well received.
The final two episodes used psychological introspection and long inner monologues to wrap up the series’ most important themes. However, it deviated from the main mecha plot which fans loved in favor of this more surreal and symbolic direction.
The series concluded with protagonist Shinji sitting alone and contemplating his life. He is then transported to a mysterious place surrounded by lost friends and loved ones applauding him.
The anime draws heavily on creator Hideaki Anno’s personal struggles with depression. However, at the time, fans vehemently disliked this ending, resulting in Anno receiving numerous death threats and angry letters.
4. MAPPA working conditions controversy
MAPPA, the studio behind hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Hell’s Paradise, and Dororo, has found itself entangled in controversy over the years.
In 2021, the studio faced allegations of underpaying and overworking its staff. Veteran animator Ippei Ichii accused Netflix of offering MAPPA a below-average rate for its productions, and a freelance animator who contributed to Attack On Titan’s final season described the working conditions as “factory-like” and unhealthy.
In 2023, MAPPA once again made headlines when animator Hokuto Sadamoto, in a now-deleted tweet from October 2023, disclosed that he had to finish 250 animation cuts for Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2, Episode 14 in two weeks. This revelation was followed by claims of animators being forced to sign NDA agreements to not divulge information about its working conditions. And finally, in November 2023, MAPPA’s CEO Manabu Otsuka faced backlash for expressing ambitious plans to produce even more anime, prompting fans to criticize the studio’s treatment of its creators.
5. Pokémon’s Poké-shock incident
Next up is one of the anime’s biggest scandals and once which caused the industry to change forever.
In 1997, the 38th episode of Pokémon’s first season contained repetitive visual effects. These effects induced photosensitive seizures in over 600 children and the incident is now referred to as the Pokémon Shock.
In the episode, Ash and his friends must enter the Poke Ball machine to determine why it’s malfunctioning. As they navigate cyberspace, Pikachu uses a thunderbolt attack on the program, which causes large explosions.
Following the incident, the episode was removed from rotation and has not aired anywhere since. When Pokémon returned after a four-month hiatus, all episodes had the flashing effects removed. As well as this, many Japanese shows included an epilepsy warning to prevent similar incidents in the future.
6. Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid and oversexualization
Anime has raised a lot of eyebrows over the years due to its portrayal of female characters. The hypersexualization and child-like attributes of these characters have drawn a number of controversies, with one of the most notable being with Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid’s second season.
Following the debut of Iruru (or Ilulu), a female dragon with a teenage human form, fans took to social media to criticize the character’s portrayal. Depicted with a childlike personality, extremely short stature, and disproportionally large breasts, many critics have accused animators of promoting the sexualization of minors. However, that still hasn’t stopped some fans from enjoying the series (or animators from creating female characters with unrealistic proportions).
7. Kemono Friends’ production issues
Kemono Friends was one of Japan’s biggest anime series in 2017. Written and directed by Tatsuki, fans assumed that he would return for Season 2. However, when neither he nor his animation studio Yaoyorozu returned, fans were left wondering what happened and where it all went wrong.
Kadokawa, the media company behind the show, attributed Tatsuki’s departure to miscommunication issues over intellectual property. However, in 2018, Tatsuki revealed on X/Twitter that he hadn’t received royalty payments for his scripts. This disclosure sparked a significant outrage. Fans rallied behind Tatsuki, but it created such a scandal that it impacted the stock price of Kadokawa’s parent company.
8. Rurouni Kenshin creator’s child pornography charges
In September 2017, mangaka Nobuhiro Watsuki returned to the series Rurouni Kenshin for its Hokkaido Arc. Only two months later, authorities arrested him on charges of possessing child pornography. Watsuki pleaded guilty, but he only received a fine of ¥200,000 (US$1,500), and the Hokkaido Arc resumed by June 2018, much to the disgust of fans.
When the announcement of the 2023 remake of Rurouni Kenshin came, the controversy once again resurfaced, highlighting the ongoing support and adoration for Watsuki within the manga’s community.
9. Voice actor Takahiro Sakurai’s resignation
Takahiro Sakurai, a highly successful voice actor, is known for his Japanese dub of Edward Cullen in Twilight, as well as his portrayals of Suguru Geto in Jujutsu Kaisen and Miyuki Kazuya in Ace of Diamond. However, his career unexpectedly ended in 2023 due to controversies in his personal life.
On October 26, 2022, Japanese news magazine Shukan Bunshun reported that Sakurai had been having a 10-year affair with a writer from his radio show. This announcement caused his house of cards to come crashing down, with allegations of another long-term affair.
Popular Western actors have found themselves embroiled in relationship controversy. But for Takahiro Sakurai, the aftermath of the announcement went beyond typical repercussions. Jujutsu Kaisen ousted him from the Jump Festa 2023 voice actors panel. And soon after, he chose to resign not only from his talent agency but also from several of his acting roles. However, one question remains: was it his own decision, or did the anime industry force his hand?
10. Muv-Luv anime’s plagiarism
In 2012, the Muv-Luv anime fired character designer Sou Miyata. Why? It was discovered that he was tracing the work of others and passing it off as his own.
Anime characters often have similar attributes, and the industry is no stranger to plagiarism accusations. However, when it comes to Muv-Luv, fans couldn’t help but notice just how similar the anime’s characters looked to other bishoujo girls in the industry.
But it went beyond that. Along with the line work, he also copied the general picture composition and artistic style. And as you can expect, the discovery led to Sou Miyata’s termination from his role.
Anime is no stranger to scandal. From beloved classics like Pokémon to the behind-the-scenes working conditions of hit series like Attack On Titan, its clear that the industry has a lot to work on. These controversies often highlight the delicate balance between artistic expression, cultural expectations, and the ethical responsibilities of creators. But, they also indicate a wider problem about fan involvement in their beloved shows.
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